Set's Thoughts
by bandcrazy01
Summary: He stands here, forcing himself to stand tall to his inflictor. Unfortunately, I know it's an act, I know everything about him. One-shot set after the Red Pyramid.


The world is a cruel game of winner and loser. It's a matter of who is played and who the player is. The unsuspecting pawn to someone's ultimate plan. Your life may appear to make sense at this very moment until you get slammed with reality towards the end, when you can taste victory to find it was an awful bitter taste in the end. Not at all what you figured it to be.

That's what occurred after watching the Kane's destroy my pyramid, my temple. But instead of continuing the usual routine, Isis/Sadie strayed and threw the Feather of Truth to reveal an old face. Not every god admits this, but I will state in silence that fear did rush through me for a second, quickly followed by a sudden sense of complete betrayal. I had been played.

And here I am, finding myself playing cards with the God of Knowledge in an attempt to ease myself from the thought. But really, you can't ignore a sword impaled into you without at least trying to remove it. Thoth was on a winning streak anyways, probably rigged the cards before I got here. So I gave up on the fake charade, observing the stadium as my mind wandered a moment.

Thoth immediately cleared his throat, earning my gaze as his expression stayed neutral. "If you're planning to get revenge on your sister, I'll hate to be the one to tell you that she has your name now, Set."

My eyes narrowed, huffing the thought away. Actually, I didn't really care anymore. What was the point anyways? Crown myself king of what? A silly pyramid that would fuel Apophis' escape? And he'd quickly transform the rest of the world into his forsaken sea of Chaos like he keeps yapping his mouth about. Fucking adder…

"I haven't even thought of revenge, Thoth." I admitted quickly.

Thoth's right eyebrow rose questioningly. "Who is Set without a thought of revenge?" He contemplated the thought for a moment.

I sighed out of irritation, raising my feet onto the table that Thoth quickly yanked back onto the floor. "Well, _something_ is bothering you." Thoth, the amazing genius he is, concluded.

"A painful stab in the side is what." I replied swiftly, hoping he'd just lean off.

But he didn't, his eyes in fact widened to my words. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"How can you tolerate us using you as our mediator?" I began slowly.

"It's my job to make sure Ma'at and Isfet are balanced, Set. You should know this, it's the only reason I help at times." Thoth let out an amused laugh to the thought. "But this isn't about me, and we both know it."

I snarled, restraining myself from throwing the cards on the table at him. "Look, I just made the fantastic discovery of how bad it feels to find you've been used. Just give me a break, will you?"

Thoth's expression darkened. "I'm surprised it took you this long to have it come back."

My eyebrows furrowed at the bird now. "What are you yapping about now?"

Thoth sat back, lightening up a little with each slow second. "So, this _entire_ time you've been relishing in the pain you feel from being used, have you?"

I grumbled, right hand fumbling with the Ace of Hearts before me. "What is it to you?"

Thoth suddenly smiled, standing up now as he stretched a bit. "It means a lot, actually. You've finally gotten a taste of what kind of hell you put everyone else in."

"Hey, don't try to play me as a murderous freak! I'm a victim, got it?"

"Aren't we all?" Thoth's eyes narrowed as I froze, slowly letting that seep into my head with utter confusion. "You got wound up because Osiris took the throne. Then your wife snuck behind your back, claiming Anubis is yours. Oh, then you plan to fight back, feeling victimized from it all. Which ended in a long fight with Horus and Isis, and you ended up losing. I feel for you, truly." The last bit was filled with so much sarcasm it immediately made me stand up, ready to retort. "But what about everyone _you_ made into a victim?"

I blinked, caught off guard now. "Why are you always changing the subject?" I snapped, hands clenched.

"I'm not, Set, I've been on the same one since we've started discussing it." Thoth rolled his eyes. "Let's start with Osiris, shall we?"

"How about we don't?" I offered immediately.

Thoth smiled now. "Set, it sounds like you already know."

I sank back into the chair, grumbling as he soared into the topic anyways, listing all of the obviously hurtful things I had inflicted on my older brother. The coffin imprisonment, followed by mutilation, Thoth even added the part about the fish. "And I won't leave out the fact that you pretty much deprived him of his family too." Thoth wrapped up quickly.

Then moved to Isis without mercy, my head lowering to the table as his bantering continued. Yes, I knew I caused a great amount of grief, they all told me. It felt worse coming from his mouth though. "And I won't even get started on Horus," Thoth relieved both of us with that.

Instead, he moved on to Nephthys. Silly bird, he didn't know anything between us. She was the calm ocean beating against the burning sand, bring life in such a force that she won't even understand. So much so, that she didn't think much about running to Osiris. Then proceeded to claim this bastard of a jackal is my son. True, I desperately wanted a son, but he's not mine.

I forced myself to return to Thoth's ranting, forcing her image away before I lose it. That's when heard an unsuspecting set of words leave his beak. "How do you think the Kanes feel?"

I sat up, alarmed by their names. They're just humans, after all. Annoying too, both the children. About as annoying as Anubis himself… Which I guess they are kind of brothers/sister now.

"Set?" Thoth broke me from it before I could get much deeper into the thought.

I cleared my throat, shooting him a workable grin that made his gaze harden. "What about them? That Kane girl is pretty annoying, and don't get me started on that Carter boy-"

"What do you think is their opinion of you, Set? Don't get side-tracked." Thoth scuffed.

"That's easy, a nuisance they wish they could dissolve into thin air." I replied dryly, flipping the Ace over and stacking the cards to hand to Thoth, who just kept his eyes on me.

"And they didn't, have you even thought about that important detail?" Thoth proceeded to rant again, which I again zoned out.

That's when a very weird incident occurred. A familiar voice suddenly emerged in my skull, panic filled even. I sat up, which Thoth froze mid-rambling, eyes fixed on me.

_I knew this was pointless._

"Uh, Set?" Thoth hesitated. "You alright?"

I stood up now, nodding just to get him to shut up. "I have his voice in my head."

Thoth shot me a puzzled look, suddenly deciding this was now more important than proving how much I've inflicted on others. "May I ask _who_ exactly?"

My face flushed, realizing what I was about to say. "Uh, is it weird to have a random voice similar to a former host?" I coughed out.

Thoth immediately blinked out of surprise. "Wait, who would call upon you?" Thoth finally managed to snap out of his frozen state.

"No one important to you, bird-brain!" I stood my ground. "What do you mean by call upon?"

"That voice you're hearing is someone calling out to you." Thoth continued, interest sparking in his eyes.

"Oh good, I better get going then. This was a fantastic talk, maybe next time we can talk about how boring card games are? Yes? Good, can't wait. Bye." I quickly entered the Duat before he could reply.

* * *

_Look, I don't even know if you are able to hear me. I probably have my hands on a hoax message, it is Menshikov's. Why am I even still talking? What the hell is wrong with me?_

I followed the voice, right into Manhattan's Central Park. To those that are not aware yet, that happens to be a hot spot for the Greek world. It's also west of the river, Osiris' territory. But that didn't seem to bother the man, who was now muttering angrily as he tore apart a scroll, proceeding to burn it into ash.

"So pointless, what was I even thinking? It's completely reckless, and I should know better than this!" He continued to discipline himself aloud. "It'll just risk everything again, we can't afford that." He scowled as he scraped the ash from the fountain into his hand, immediately throwing it into a nearby trash can.

I decided to form, finding myself standing in front of a small pile of sand with a drop of a red liquid sliding down the small mountain. Apparently he hadn't noticed, glaring at the trash can as his hands clenched, looking as if he was contemplating dueling it.

"Excuse me, young man," I started aloud. "I believe you left behind a mound of sand."

He immediately jumped two inches from the sidewalk. In that moment, he whipped his staff and wand out, taking me in as he managed to ease his breathing again. "Do you not know where we are?" Amos immediately snapped in reply. "I swear I thought you were a demigod brat!"

"If that was the case, you would completely blow it." I pointed to the weapons he had pulled out from instinct.

But that didn't mean he intended to put them away. Oh no, the God of Chaos has shown up, make sure he knows you're armed! "Why did you respond?" He suddenly asked, sounding very confused.

"Why did you apparently call for me?" I turned it back on him.

That was enough to stump the man, glancing around the park as he hesitated to relax a little. "Why else, other than stupidity, would I want to confront you?" He spoke harshly.

But his eyes revealed all. The poor fool, he's inexperienced in deceiving.

His entire figure spoke of visible stress, despite his try to seem strong-willed against me. His deep brown eyes spoke of fear, pleading me for something despite the act he classically responded with. And he's shifting his weight anxiously, readying himself to run if need be.

"You mentioned Menshikov," I remembered quickly. "I suppose you want Intel on said man?"

Amos stiffened, alarm spread across his expression. "Why the hell would I want information on him? I think I already know what I need to know-"

"The Per Ankh is filled with backstabbers, Kane, you know that." I huffed off.

"So you make the grand assumption that I fit into that category?" Amos snarled.

I smirked at the nervous human before me, his eyes suddenly widening as if facing an incoming semi. "Hold on, Menshikov has been talking with you?"

"Bravo, Clay Boy, it only took you a quarter of a minute." I mocked, even handing him a 'golf-clap' as he snarled, muttering to himself.

"I should have known, he's planning to make us tear at each other." Amos' eyes stayed on the concrete.

"He can't do much though," I continued. "Sadie has my secret name, so you're still safe, to a point."

"And why the hell does Menshikov have your secret name?" Amos faced me again, gripping his staff and wand even tighter.

I waved the question away. "Consider it a family thing; I kind of owed his father." I summed up. "Now, why am I here?"

Amos tensed again, almost acting like I had just threatened to melt his collection of saxophones. "Uh, depends…" Now he was being extremely cautious.

"On what?" I waved my hand to gesture him to hurry up.

He swallowed harshly, taking me in again. "You said Sadie has your secret name?"

"Don't change the subject Amos." I snapped.

"To what point does Menshikov have power over you?" Amos continued, allowing his fear to shine through. "I'm not about to hand myself to a God that's controlled by a backstabbing magician."

My right eyebrow rose. "Hand yourself over?"

Amos dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Hey now, you have me intrigued, Clay Boy."

"Have I had the chance to tell you how overused that nickname is?" Amos growled as I laughed in amusement.

"What would you prefer then?" My words brought further agitation into his expression.

"Whatever, the point is I called upon you in hopes I could follow your path, Set." Amos' shivered for a second after stating this.

My expression lightened up rather quickly. _Why?_ I desperately wanted to ask, but seeing the tension and distress forced it back down my throat.

This man, I fooled him with hope that he could fix things. I managed to get him bended to my will, and it took his remaining family to realize it. He fought desperately for control, shooting flares to anyone he could in hopes someone would act. Only a few saw it, mainly Desjardins. Otherwise, they brushed it off, making him wonder how.

In an effort to get him to stop, I forced him to use his own magic reserve. It didn't stop him; he practically started to burn his soul once we reached the pyramid. It was quite a struggle to even keep him on his feet, but it was much easier to take over from there, seeing as he weakened himself to the enemy infiltrating his mind.

And the looks on the Kanes' faces when they found out, classic. There will be no other expression that will top their absolute shock and horror. But of course, my actions that day have led me into hanging out with Thoth, which is the worst way to spend my days.

He was a captive struggling desperately with his bonds to grab the steering wheel. He began questioning himself, self-inflicting torture of his mental state as he helplessly watched me lead our families into the most beautiful temple ever built for me. Perhaps he had hoped that he would burn that day.

But here he stands now, contemplating if he was even in the right mind set anymore. My eyes saddened, taking in what I once saw as a toy to possess. Suddenly I was starting to see him beyond a mere human standing in my destructive path.

He stands here, forcing himself to stand tall to his inflictor. Unfortunately, I know it's an act, I know everything about him. He would rather go jump of a bridge, but something in his eyes spoke that he had to go through with this.

A new light on said man dawned, a sudden epiphany emerging from the dark corners of my mind. He had been played, more so than I was. He practically lost everything to me. But he's not sitting at home, crying about it. He's standing here, facing his vanquisher, trying to seem stronger than he actually is.

Asking if he can follow me? Wanting to embrace chaos... Maybe it's a mad desire to fix that chaos that now makes up his thoughts.

"You must be drugged up; you pay Menshikov a visit before coming here?" I finally managed to respond, earning a harsh glare from the musician.

He lowered his weapons though, shaking his head. "Thank you for proving how idiotic this actually is. I'm sorry for disturbing you, return to whatever it was you were doing."

I blinked twice before I could see him leaving. Leaving his offer hanging in the air, not wanting to actually go through with it. But I followed him. And to his distress, he stopped five feet away from the curb, peering back at me with a confused look.

"It is idiotic, but you have my attention, if that counts for anything." I finally spoke up after a silent moment.

Amos allowed a small smile. "Set, anything that deals with power has your attention."

He knows me too well. Well, I guess he knows everyone a little too well. He's just far more understanding of people than anyone can possibly imagine. So much so, that he's willing to toss his sanity back into the blazing fire roaring in front of him, a slight hint of a prayer playing in his eyes that he won't be tossed out as a burned corpse.

Is that forgiveness? A possessed host just asked if he could follow my path, despite the torture he went through a few months ago. No one has the insane mindset to ask that, it's madness he's swimming in. But it brought a sense of warmth over me, I suddenly felt needed for once as he awaited me to say something.

And all I've done is play 'Poor Me' on Thoth's table with my fingers. Leveling everything that has ever happened against me and scowling at the other God for explaining their side. He didn't get it; he hasn't been put in my spot.

Yet he did, a degraded man offering peace to a warmonger. _Now you're evaluating the mental strength of a human compared to yourself, Set. It's worse that you just found out he's stronger than you._

"Um, Set?" Amos cut me off from my thoughts. "I have things to do, like pay a much needed visit to Brooklyn House. So, I'll let you think things over, if that's what you need. But I don't think we should linger here any longer. I think the next shift of guards is coming in two minutes."

I nodded, taking in the urgency. "Well, be pleased to know that I accept."

Amos stopped shifting through his keys to raising his left eyebrow. "If I had known you'd make things ten times messier than they have to be…" His eyes took me in again. "First you say no, and now you're telling me yes?"

"I didn't say no, I don't know where you got that impression-"

"You are confusing, how about you just stop contradicting yourself?" Amos complained.

"_What_ are you talking about? You're the one confusing both of us!" I pointed out. "Hell, Amos, don't you know I haven't received an offer like that in several lifetimes? Why would I shut it down?"

Amos blinked again, alarm freezing him in place. "You were worried about guards," I reminded again, gesturing to the car keys in his hands.

A nervous laugh managed to escape his throat, quickly returning to the keys. "Yes, well, I suppose we can discuss this another time."

"Hmm, I think we have quite a bit of that too. I'll be sure to visit." I added as he quickly got behind the wheel of his navy Honda civic.

He hesitated with the door, sighing as his eyes connected with mine. "Thank you."

The door closed before I could actually let the words settle in. He had already driven off by the time I came up with a reply, which I surprisingly didn't feel irritated by. No, this time I smiled.

* * *

**Anyone else having issues with making new documents? I had to overwrite an old one to even copy/paste this.**

**Please review! As always, thank you for reading.**


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